
THE PHAROAH has landed
WHO IS MUBTAAHIJ?
His name means “cheery” in Arabic. He beat older horses as a 2-year-old last year, for fun. He is from Dubai, trained by a South African, ridden by a Frenchman. He traveled thousands of miles to Arlington Park where he worked in 37 and change for 3 furlongs recently.
He won’t be on Lasix (first horse in 10 years), he trains without shoes and will be shod on raceday only.
He is the mystery horse at the Kentucky Derby!

CARPE DIEM as a 2-year-old in sale workout wearing everything but the kitchen sink! OBS PHOTO
Â
JAY PRIVMAN over at Daily Racing Form has updated possible starters/jockeys for the KENTUCKY DERBY:
American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza)
Bolo (Rafael Bejarano)
Carpe Diem (John Velazquez)
Danzig Moon (Julien Leparoux)
Dortmund (Martin Garcia)
El Kabeir (Calvin Borel)
Far Right (Mike Smith)
Firing Line (Gary Stevens)
Frosted (Joel Rosario)
International Star (Miguel Mena)
Itsaknockout (Luis Saez)
Madefromlucky (undecided)
Materiality (Javier Castellano)
Mr. Z (Ramon Vazquez)
Mubtaahij (Christophe Soumillon)
Ocho Ocho Ocho (Kent Desormeaux)
Stanford (Florent Geroux)
Tencendur (Manny Franco)
War Story (Joe Talamo)
Upstart (Jose Ortiz)
Note: Pletcher said the status of Madefromlucky and Stanford will be determined after working at Churchill this weekend. They are not certain to run.
AMERICAN PHAROAH and his misspelled name
Zayat Stables annually holds a name the foal contest on its website and early in 2014, a colt by Pioneer ofthe Nile was christened AMERICAN PHAROAH, a name submitted by Marsha Baumgartner.
http://www.zayatstables.com/articles/naming-contest-winners-announced.html
and what about that tail?
AMERICAN PHAROAH’S tail is growing back in but early last year another colt chewed it off in a paddock at an Ocala farm (thought to be one of his Derby mates, El Kabeir or Mr Z). He had a little stub last year.
WATCH Kentucky Derby workouts and gallops here:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/workouts
MERI SHIKA keeps ATTFIELD ROLL GOING
Stella Perdomo’s Meri Shika (FR) charged down the stretch to win the $62,000 Betz Purse for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, by a neck before a Wednesday afternoon crowd of 9,877.
Trained by Roger Attfield and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Meri Shika covered 1½ miles on a good turf course in 2:30.39.
Meri Shika, a 5-year-old daughter of 2008 Arlington Million (G1) winner Spirit One (FR), earned $31,620 for the victory and improved her record to three wins in 23 starts with earnings of $207,913. In 2014, she won the 1½-mile Flaming Page Stakes at Woodbine.
The winner returned $9, $4.40 and $3. Finishing second under Joel Rosario was Carnevale (GB), who paid $3.60 and $2.80. Stellaris was a nose back in third and paid $3 to show under James Graham.
PRICES SKYROCKET AT OCALA APRIL SALE
Hip No. 439, a daughter of Tapit consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Agent, went to Solis/Litt for an OBS record $1,900,000 to top the second session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2015 Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. The gray or roan filly, who breezed an eighth in :10 1/5 at last Wednesday’s session of the Under Tack Show, is out of Silver Wolf, by Silver Deputy, a half sister to grade one stakes winner Corinthian.
The price surpassed the all-time OBS record of $1.8 million. The previous Spring Sale record was $975,000.
CANADIAN BUYERS
CARLO TUCCI – a First Dude filly out of Kandy Kris that cost 30,000
JOHN CAULFIELD, NICK GONZALEZ, AGENT – paid $32,000 for an Artie Schiller filly out of Ochoa
RICHARD HOGAN, agent – paid $80,000 for a Sidney’s Candy colt out of Reforestation that worked in 21 3/5
A half sister to Conquest Curlinate, recently 2nd in the Illinois Derby, is among the Ontario breds in the April 2yo sale this week.
 RALPH BIAMONTE, for CHRIS GEORGE $30,000 10.3 FILLY BY  North Light (IRE)    Skippy O    Ontario    Crupi’s New Castle Farm, Agent
CANADIAN BREDS SOLD
Here are the hip numbers, prices, workout times and breeding/consigner, barn
193 $145,000 ZAYAT ST.   10.1            C    Ghostzapper    Northglen    Ontario    Bobby Dodd, Agent    6
201 $32,000 JOHN CAULFIELD 10.1     F    Artie Schiller    Ochoa    Ontario    King’s Equine, Agent X    2
295 $25,000 R. PEARSON 10.4           C    Speightstown    Queen’s Park    Ontario    Niall Brennan Stables, Agent I
347 NOT SOLD ($22,000) 11.1            C    Society’s Chairman    Romanced    Ontario    Derby Dreams, Agent I    G
353 NOT SOLD ($37,000) 10.3      Y    F    Court Vision    Rouge Lady    Ontario    Derby Daze Farm, Agent I    G
378     MIKE RYAN $110,000 10.4       F    Smart Strike    Santerra    Ontario    Niall Brennan Stables, Agent
436 D. PORCUN $18,000      10.4         F    Where’s the Ring    Silver Rush    Ontario    Eisaman Equine, Agent    7
455  RALPH BIAMONTE, C. GEORGE $30,000 10.3             F    North Light (IRE)    Skippy O    Ontario    Crupi’s New Castle Farm, Agent
473   OUT    10.3         F    Lemon Drop Kid    Snow Lady    Ontario    Top Line Sales LLC, Agent I    14
522          out                   C    Repent    Streetwise    Ontario    Thoroughbred Friends & Associates, Agent VII    20
530 $13,000 SPAN BLDSTK        10.3          C    Plan    Sugar Bird    Ontario    Santa Fe Thoroughbreds, Agent II
547 out      10.4         C    Cape Blanco (IRE)    Sweet Kitten    Ontario    de Meric Sales, Agent X
683          10.3        F    Old Forester    Woodland City (SAF)    Ontario    RiceHorse Stables    14
723        10.3 F    Philanthropist    Allegation    Ontario    Best A Luck Farm LLC, Agent XIV    3
786         10.2          C    Court Vision    Best Diamond    Ontario    Thomas and Casse, Agent    9
796       out             F    Uncle Mo    Black Hills Goldie    Ontario    Parrish Farms, Agent    3
837     11.0            C    Court Vision    Carolina    Ontario    Derby Daze Farm, Agent IV    G
900    10.2              F    Leroidesanimaux (BRZ)    Consilia    Ontario    Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), A  957     10.1           C    Unbridled’s Song    Destroy    Ontario    Eisaman Equine, Agent    7
1000   out          C    Zensational    Embur’s Melody    Ontario    Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XLV
1010     10.4   C    Sidney’s Candy    Ethan’s Car    Ontario    Niall Brennan Stables, Agent X    8
1045     out        C    Bernardini    Flawless Diamond    Ontario    Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XLIII    8
1079      10.2    F    Flower Alley    Glorious Hawk    Ontario    RiceHorse Stables    14
1137  10.4             F    Lookin At Lucky    Higher World    Ontario    Eisaman Equine, Agent    7
1169     10         F    Tizway    Imaginary Gold    Ontario    Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XIX    5
1179     10.3          C    Victor’s Cry    Itstartswithadream    Ontario    Derby Daze Farm, Agent I    G
QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS
Nomination for Queenston/Fury are out and those races are on Kentucky Derby weekend. The 7 furlongs events are the first major preps for the Queen’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks but the Queenston is not likely to have any of the main contenders for the Plate.
QUEENSTON NOMINATIONS
BEAR AT LAST
dk b/.c.3 by Marchfield(A.P. Indy) – Clayton’s Lass(Forest Camp)
Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker
BREAKING LUCKY
ch.c.3 by Lookin At Lucky(Smart Strike) – Shooting Party(Sky Classic)
Gunpowder Farms LLC Reade Baker
BRING ON THE BULL
ch.g.3 by Giant Gizmo(Giant’s Causeway) – Ace It(Cape Canaveral)
Best Friends Racing Stable and Shale Wagman Denyse McClachrie
CHIRICAHUA SIGNAL
dk b/.g.3 by Where’s the Ring(Seeking the Gold) – Apache Signal(Announce)
CEC Stables Inc. & David Bell David R. Bell
CONQUEST BOOGALOO
dk b/.c.3 by Scat Daddy(Johannesburg) – Jules Best(Jules)
Conquest Stables, LLC Mark E. Casse
EASY INDYGO
b.c.3 by Marchfield(A.P. Indy) – Real Scoop(Catienus)
Tucci Stables Nicholas Gonzalez
FIELD OF COURAGE
dk b/.c.3 by Marchfield(A.P. Indy) – Miss Crissy(Bold n’ Flashy)
John C. Oxley Mark E. Casse
GOODOLDHOCKEYGAME
ch.g.3 by Old Forester(Forestry) – Domasca Bella(Domasca Dan)
Frank D. Di Giulio Jr. Robert P. Tiller
HAMMERSTEIN
dk b/.c.3 by Bernstein(Storm Cat) – Prized Stamp(Prized)
William Sorokolit Darwin D. Banach
IMPERIAL DREAM
dk b/.c.3 by Stormy Atlantic(Storm Cat) – Nicki Knew(Tethra)
Tucci Stables Nicholas Gonzalez
JACKS ESCARPMENT
dk b/.c.3 by Old Forester(Forestry) – Escarpment(Grand Slam)
John K. Caulfield Nicholas Gonzalez
MIDNIGHT TRACE
ch.g.3 by Scat Daddy(Johannesburg) – Dream Date Diva(Gulch)
West Point Thoroughbreds Inc. H. Graham Motion
PAT DADDY
dk b/.c.3 by Scat Daddy(Johannesburg) – Queen of the Realm(Empire Maker)
C. Scott Abbott Racing Stable Ltd. Michael J. Doyle
PHIL’S COCKTAIL
b.g.3 by Philanthropist(Kris S.) – Sunset Cocktail(Precise End)
R. I. Clarkson John P. LeBlanc, Jr.
R U WATCHINGBUD
dk b/.c.3 by Kentucky Bear(Mr. Greeley) – Bonay(Wild Again)
J. R. Racing Stable John A. Ross
SAMUEL DECHAMPLAIN
dk b/.g.3 by Henrythenavigator(Kingmambo) – Forestry’s Magic(Forestry)
Eaton Hall Farm Michael J. Doyle
SCORCH
dk b/.c.3 by Candy Ride (ARG)(Ride the Rails) – Nashinda(Silver Deputy)
Augustin Stable Mark R. Frostad
SEFFEARA
b.g.3 by Old Forester(Forestry) – Town Dance(Dance Brightly)
Empress Stables Steve Owens
THREE RING CIRCUS
b.g.3 by Where’s the Ring(Seeking the Gold) – Yolie(Menifee)
Frank D. Di Giulio Jr. Robert P. Tiller
TRANSFORMATIVE
b.c.3 by Quality Road(Elusive Quality) – Lileagh (IRE)(Sadler’s Wells)
John C. Oxley Mark E. Casse
